With its screenplay set in London’s Chinatown, this British-Chinese co-production, made at a cost of $35 million is an action thriller directed by Martin Campbell. David Marconi has written the script based on the 1992 novel ‘The Chinaman’ by Stephen Leather.
Quan (Jackie Chan) is a humble London businessman whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fuelled vendetta when his teenage daughter dies in a senseless act of politically motivated terrorism. His relentless search to find the terrorists leads to a cat-and-mouse conflict with a British government official Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan), whose own past may hold the clues to the identities of the elusive killers.
It is worth noting that Pierce Brosnan and Martin Campbell have joined hands after 22 years for this project as their previous collaboration was for the James Bond film, ‘Golden Eye’ in 1995! Martin Campbell had also directed yet another James Bond film, ‘Casino Royale’ in 2006! ‘The Mask of Zorro’ (1998), ‘The Legend of Zorro’ (2005), ‘Vertical Limit’ (2000) are the other blockbusters wielded by Martin Campbell.
The filming in London of a scene involving the explosion of a double decker bus on Lambeth Bridge caused widespread alarm, as people were not aware that it was a stunt and was reported to the London Metropolitan Police about a ‘terrorist attack’ made on the bridge!
The film had garnered $11.4 million on its opening day in China!
This is in fact the first live-action Jackie Chan movie in seven years to get a major North American theatrical release!
Martin Campbell returns to directs this 6 years after ‘Green Lantern’ (2011)
CREDITS
Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Charlie Murphy, Michael McElhatton, Orla Brady, Liu Tao and Katie Leung
Music- Cliff Martinez
Cinematography- David Tattersall
Editor – Angela M. Catanzaro
